Pianotech

  • 1.  Gery market serial numbers

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 01-13-2020 18:40
    Do Yamaha grey market serial numbers correspond to regular serial numbers in terms of DOM?

    ------------------------------
    David Love RPT
    www.davidlovepianos.com
    davidlovepianos@comcast.net
    415 407 8320
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Gery market serial numbers

    Posted 01-14-2020 04:54
    No authoritative answer for you David. However, we do see many grey market Yamahas in Florida and it's always appeared to me that there is no difference between serial numbers on regular and grey market pianos. It appears that if they were made in Japan, the regular serial numbers were applied.

    But here is another question. I tuned a Yamaha upright yesterday - looked a bit older - 1970s maybe? The serial number is W 2766222. Looked it up in Pierce and that serial number was assigned in 1978 (for a Japanese Yamaha). What does the "W" stand for? And the little emblem cast into the plate that usually says "Yamaha Hamamatsu" only had "Yamaha" on it - like a Yamaha that was not made in Japan. It looked like a U3, but had no model designation cast into the plate or indicated otherwise. What gives?

    ------------------------------
    Terry Farrell
    Farrell Piano Service, Inc.
    Brandon, Florida
    terry@farrellpiano.com
    813-684-3505
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: Gery market serial numbers

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 01-14-2020 08:52
    We've sold several Yamaha and Kawai uprights and grands from DoReMi and the serial #s in my experience are all original legit #s.
    Gary Bruce


    CLICK HERE to schedule your next piano tuning.

    405-413-8863 (cell)







  • 4.  RE: Gery market serial numbers

    Posted 01-14-2020 12:55
    I plugged your serial number  into the Yamaha website serial number look up and got this:

    The entered serial number W2766222 was not made for the US market , OR this may not be Acoustic Pianos Serial Number. Please verify.

    From another website I retrieved this info:

    Quote:

    Yamaha vertical pianos produced for USA market have been manufactured in 6 countries and they can be identified through their serial number prefix.

    Hamamatsu, Japan (serial number without any alphabet prefix)
    Thomaston, Georgia (serial number begins with "T")
    South Haven, Michigan (serial number begins with "U")
    Jakarta, Indonesia (serial number begins with "J")
    Hangzhou, China (serial number begins with an "H")
    Taoyuan, Taiwan (serial number begins with "YT")

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

    This does not explain the W. Entering the number @Yamaha without the W still brings up
    the statement about not being made for the US market. So, they evidently have their
    database set up by serial number regardless of the prefix.

    On a UK website I plugged in the number and got this result:

    Serial Number 2766222 - This piano was made in Japan in 1978

    They don't say what the W's stand for, though.

    ------------------------------
    Richard Adkins
    Piano Technician
    Coe College
    Cedar Rapids, IA
    ------------------------------



  • 5.  RE: Gery market serial numbers

    Posted 01-14-2020 13:24
    There are discussions on Gray Market Yamahas on Piano world. I copied this part from 2008:

    .Both mdls.you are refering to are considered gray market pianos in the USA and were never sold new via Yamaha USA.There are actually 3 different W mdls.W101,W102,W103.The W101 and W102 are 52" in wood finish in an upgraded case.They are one of best mdls.Yamaha has ever made though they are usually of an older vintage.and have a dark rich sound not traditional of a typical Yamaha. The W103 is 48" and is similar to a U1 except in a wood finish,no toe block and looks more deco as to it's furniture styling.

    >>>>>>>>

    So the W refers to a model W?



    ------------------------------
    Richard Adkins
    Piano Technician
    Coe College
    Cedar Rapids, IA
    ------------------------------



  • 6.  RE: Gery market serial numbers

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 01-14-2020 09:47
    As far as I know, Yes.  As per the Pierce Piano Atlas, they seem to be the same age as the used Yamaha Japanese suppliers have on record.  
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    -Matt Crudo, RPT